Bring on the crowds

COEUR d'ALENE - The Kootenai County Fairgrounds were bustling on Monday as folks hammered on booths and arranged exhibits, much yet to be done before the 2010 North Idaho Fair and Rodeo opens on Wednesday.

"Come here, baby," Cheyenne Contreras cooed as she reached a gloved hand into the cage of a short eared owl, part of the Critter Corner exhibit.

"This is Barb," Contreras said as she held up the spotted hooter, its right wing flapping. "She got caught in a barbed wire fence, and they had to amputate her wing."

The 15-year-old volunteer with the Fish and Game Department was cleaning cages and giving a run-down of owl information to a new volunteer before the big day.

By Wednesday, she said, the fairgrounds building would be lined with cages of owls, reptiles and other creatures.

It will also be packed with crowds, she added.

"I probably do my speech 100 times a day, and I'm only here four hours," Contreras said with a laugh, adding that she has volunteered before. "People love these animals because they're wild. They're unpredictable."

Fairgoers this year will get to enjoy traditional exhibits and performances as well as some new surprises, said Fair Manager Chris Holloway.

Besides the annual motorcross and mutton bustin' events, for instance, this year will feature camel rides and a wine tasting on Saturday.

"The fair just tries to fit all the different demographics. We try to keep everybody happy," Holloway said. "It's looking like it's going to be a real great event this year."

Chords clutched in her mouth, Anne Aizawa stretched on her toes early Monday afternoon as she tied up decorations around the fair's Family Fun Park.

Taking a breather, she rattled off the agenda for the free children's play area, like constructing an edible aquifer on Wednesday, learning about robots on Friday. Between, she said, kids will see how farm animals create milk and eggs.

"We hope to make it both fun and educational. It's amazing how many kids don't how where eggs come from," Aizawa said.

Plenty of folks get a kick out of the Fire Safety Village, said Tyler Drechsel as he helped arrange wood beams for the entrance.

The village will have an obstacle course, fire jeopardy, button making and videos of the 1910 Fire, he said.

"There are kids who come here year after year specifically for this," said Drechsel, fire inspector with Northern Lakes Fire Protection District. "It's not just a place to drop the kids for 15 minutes, it's something the whole family can enjoy."

Volunteers were still organizing the building for baked goods exhibits, shelves tidily arranged with jams, wine and beer.

The scent of sugar filled the air from the spread of brownies, cookies and cakes.

"See some of those cakes? Tasty, huh?" said Jeannine Hust, manning the entries table.

The submissions this year have been impressive, Hust said, suggesting folks check out a new jalapeno jelly.

"I think everybody has a favorite recipe all their friends rave about," she said. "It's nice to bring that to the fair and say, 'Those cookies won a blue ribbon.'"

A baker herself, she is always among the crowds that drift through the exhibit each year to collect inspiration, she said.

"It's better than the Food Network," she said.

There are other treats folks might want to check out, said Khristine White, as she watched employees set up the booth for White's All American Concessions.

The massive sign boasted the business' usual delicacies, like elephant ears, sausages and corn dogs.

"We get thousands (of fair customers)," said White, part owner of the Worley business.

Salty and sugary snacks are staples of the fair world, she said, adding that her business has had a booth there since the fair began.

"It's tradition," she said. "Every fair you go to, you want something that reminds you of when you were a kid."

The fair runs Wednesday through Sunday, with the gates opening at 9 a.m. every day.

Exhibits are open until 10 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, and until 6 p.m. on Sunday.

The carnival closes at midnight all days but Sunday, when it closes at 8 p.m.

Tickets are $8 for adults 13 and over, $7 for seniors 60 and over, and $4 for kids 6 to 12. Children 5 and under enter free.

Grandstand seats are $5.

A schedule of fair events can be found online at www.northidahofair.com.

Aizawa said she hopes many come out to support the fair.

"You get a really good bang for your buck," she said. "There's so much free stuff, so much quality time with your family. It's really important people just come and enjoy."